


Reunion

by Aqua111



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comic)
Genre: Family Reunions, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 13:01:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19229641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aqua111/pseuds/Aqua111
Summary: A scenario idea I had in mind of Luger and Lien-Da bein reunited again.





	Reunion

Looking up and down the front of the city hall Luger breathed in deeply a few times to brace himself. It wasn’t of much use.  
“I’m not sure anymore I can do this…” he said to his companion next to him, a slight quiver in his voice.  
“I know that this will be hard and the result surely won’t be all roses and butterflies. But I’ll sit this through with you”, Lock said, took his hand and gave it a slight reassuring squeeze. “Even if the gap between you two remains – at least you don’t have to hide from everyone anymore.”

It had been a decision between Luger and Locke that at least their Dark Legion allies needed to know that one of their former Grandmasters was still alive. It wouldn’t have been easy to keep it a secret forever anyways so it was a tactically better approach to tell them rather than wait until they found out on their own. They could even be useful if Luger needed backup to stay save. But most of all Luger just wanted to see his daughter again. Even after all that had happened, even though he might not be able to forgive.

Lien-Da had been informed of her father’s survival in advance so it wouldn’t be a surprise or shock to her as soon as she entered those council halls but her short reply message didn’t leave much to read into. It was still a complete mystery how well she had received it and how she would react when actually seeing Luger in person again.

They took seat next to each other in the meeting room. No one had awaited them yet but when Luger was about to ask if Locke was sure she would come at all the door opened again.  
Locke’s eyebrows rose in surprise when he saw the change in Lien-Da’s outfit. It still was dark but with the jacket it looked more like a uniform fit for a commanding officer. He saw it as a good sign that she had decided to face her father in uniform rather than looking like a vamp.  
For a moment she wavered, remained standing in the doorway but then with firm steps she walked over to the meeting table and took a seat. She and Luger were now sitting on opposing sides of the table, a distance of two metres between them and this was probably the closest both of them were willing to get by this point. Her usual entourage Xenin had followed her, taken his default position a few feet behind her seat and tried to become part of the background. For a moment Lien-Da turned her head as if considering asking Xenin to sit with her but then she decided against it and faced her meeting partners again. Probably for the best – in his role as bodyguard he was less intimidating than in a position of emotional support.  
Now up close Locke noticed something else about Lien-Da. Either she hadn’t slept for days or… - well, he actually found it impossible to even imagine her crying.

There was a long moment of silence during which Luger just looked at her. The last time he had seen her she was just a teenager. It also was shortly before she had planned to kill him.  
“All these years … I just wanted to know why…” His voice threatened to give out due to the burning lump in his throat.  
“I have actually asked myself the same for these past few years since I awoke from my coma. Especially since I took command over the Legion myself”, Lien-Da silently told the tabletop. She was unable to look into Luger’s eyes any longer. “All I still remember is the pain we went through during our childhood and teenage years. You hardly ever were there – not at home just as a father, nor as someone to train us for the Legion or our roles as future Grandmasters. We only had mother. And when she died we had no one left. And you married this … other woman so soon after mother’s death as if you just couldn’t have cared less about mother. That was pretty much the breaking point for us – and additionally Moritori was very convincing at that time.”

Luger had closed his eyes but that couldn’t prevent his tears from running down his cheeks anymore. The pain of grief and rage was becoming too much for him.  
“And this was a reason to fucking kill me?” he said, his voice becoming louder with each word. Locke put a calming hand on his shoulder but Luger shook it off when he stood up. He leaned forward, propped up on his shaking arms. “I was pretty much left by my father when I was still a child. I tried to lead and rebuild the Legion he clearly never gave a fuck about. Did you have any idea how hard it is to lead an entire empire – actually lead and not just control through fear – on your own? Yes, I admit that I wasn’t the most caring father because of that but it doesn’t justify what you and Kragok planned to do.” His voice quieted down again. He now almost sounded defeated. “You might not have succeeded in taking my life but you surely have ruined it.”

Lien-Da bit her lips. Finally she was able to force her gaze up again to meet her father’s eyes. There was a shiver in her voice when she spoke but else she had her feelings under control.  
“If I could apologize I would do it. But I know full well that this would do nothing. There is no apology for attempted murder. I surely didn’t forgive myself. But believe me, when I regained my consciousness it was like I had woken up with the memory of a completely different person. I don’t know what the hell Moritori did to be so convincing. I don’t know why we snapped like that. I just wished that I could have turned back time. Maybe I still wouldn’t have loved you or seen you as a father but I surely wouldn’t have killed you.”  
She took a deep breath before she continued. “It’s kind of ironic that I once saw your way to lead our people as weak but now I am doing pretty much the same. All we learned back then when we were separated from you was how Moritori used to lead – through terror. It seemed like the only way to keep control over such a huge army and it also seemed to work because despite rather staying with the Guardians he still maintained a firm grip over us from a distance. But I don’t need fearful or mind-controlled minions – I need … people. Mind control can be interfered and fear can turn into hatred against you – I wanted loyal people who trust me and follow me of their own free will. I even instructed our scientists to find ways to safely deactivate the mind altering chips all Legionnaires once had implanted. I think if you had the chance or the resources you would have done the same.”

“Yes”, Luger quietly said. “I definitely would have.”  
Another long moment of silence followed. Both of them didn’t really know what else to say. But despite that Luger had a calming feeling of closure.  
“I think our meeting has come to an end”, he finally said. “I am not sure if I can forgive, not yet, but at least we can work together.”  
Lien-Da only silently nodded.

As soon as the other two left the room she slumped down in her chair and buried her face in her hands, her elbows resting on the table. A metal hand touched her shoulder. Its weight felt comforting.  
“I’m alright”, she mumbled. “Or at least will be in a moment. Just … feeling so damn exhausted.”

“How are you holding up?” Locke asked when they left the building.  
“That I feel okay would be a lie”, Luger replied. “But in some sense I feel relieved and as if at least a bit of the weight had been lifted off my shoulders.”  
“There is something I started to wonder”, Locke thoughtfully said. “Namely if it really has been their own decision to kill you. You are a dysfunctional family, no question, but if something like that was a reason for murder then the road to becoming a Guardian would also have been plastered with the corpses of former Guardians. This just doesn’t add up. Maybe they somehow had been controlled.”  
Yes, Luger had already had the same thought. Yet another wound that once had been torn by Moritori. But this time one that would hopefully start to heal now.


End file.
